Deron Williams Says He’s Not The Same Player Since Joining Nets, Blames System

Deron Williams was a top two point guard in the league when he was with the Utah Jazz. Williams is still a top-tier player in the league, but the wins and dominating play at his position have been missing.

According to ESPN New York, Williams feels he hasn’t been the same player since joining the Nets, and he attributes it to injuries, and a different system.

“I was injured the first year (and needed season-ending right wrist surgery),” Williams said Monday, a day before the Nets host the Jazz at Barclays Center. “I’ve really had injuries while I’ve been with (the Nets) the whole time. And didn’t have the talent around me that I did (with the Jazz).

“And that system (in Utah) was a great system for my style of play. I’m a system player, and I loved Coach (Jerry) Sloan’s system. I loved the offense there. We could’ve been a really good team. We just weren’t that good defensively as a group.”

Williams says he’s thrived playing in a pick and roll system since high school, but has struggled to find his rhythm in Avery Johnson’s isolation based offense.

“I grew up in high school, my coach wasn’t one of those guys that would let us just throw out the ball and let us play,” Williams said. “We were a system team. We had staple plays that we relied on. We were good at execution. In college (at Illinois), we ran the motion offense. A lot of cutting, a lot passing, a lot of screening, a lot of extra passes. I’m used to just movement. So I’m still trying to adjust. It’s been an adjustment for me. But it’s coming along.”

“I believe I can adapt to anything,” he said. “We’re still a young team. Things don’t happen overnight. It’s still just December. We’re working on it.”